Status of Women in Governance in Tamil Nadu

The 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Indian Constitution made 15 years ago, brought to the fore one million women in the helm of affairs in their villages. Local bodies are the only constitutional bodies wherein 33% reservation for women is ensured. The emergence of women power has caused perceptible changes in our villages in a span of ten years. The agenda of women in office are far different from the agenda of men. While the men are keen on building toilets, providing drinking water, improving health status and environmental protection, the women in local bodies demonstrated their capabilities to improve the status and condition of women, children and the marginalised. Still, many political parties are opposing legislation to provide reservation of seats to women in the parliament and state assemblies. The Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and Beijing Platform of Action are instrumental at the international level in focusing on the issue of women in governance. The critical mass theory analysed changes in the parliamentary institutions when women achieve the critical mass. There is an assumption that once women achieved critical mass in the legislative institutions, they concentrate on development issues. This paper attempts to provide an overview of the status of women in governance in Tamil Nadu, the need for improving the status of women and also government strategies. Such an overview is essential in order to understand the issues of women and the need for empowering them.